Hydraulic press



NITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

M. H. CLARK, OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

HYDRAULIC PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 25,488, dated September 20, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, M. H. CLARK, of Danville, in the county of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hydraulic Presses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2, is a vertical transverse section. 3, is a plan of the divided packing ring disk.

Similar letters of reference, in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

The object of the first part of my invention is to render practicable the working of a series of hydraulic presses arranged contiguous to one another by means of one small water reservoir and a small amount of power and the object of the second part -of my invention is to insure the packing of the pistons of the cylinders perfectly water-tight by the agency of the pressure brought to bear against the pistons.

The nature of my invention consists, 1st, in the arrangement of the water reservoir, force pump or pumps, main supply pipe, branches, stop-cocks and a series of hydraulic presses for united operation in the manner hereinafter described, whereby when water is being introduced under pressure to one of a series of contiguous presses, its passage to the others of the series is shut off, and thus the whole force of the pumps obtained at this stage of the operation, and also whereby, when water has thus been introduced to the first one of the series the same, while in an active condition or under pressure, can be shut off from the reservoir and retained in the cylinder as long as desired, and likewise whereby, the remaining presses of the series can thus be successively brought into operation and the water conned in the cylinders until the cotton, tobacco, or other article being operated upon has been compressed to the extent desired.

My invention consists, 2nd, in arranging a leather packing ring on a disk which is divided radially into a series of parts and fitted loosely on a conical extension of the piston and held in contact with said extension by means of an undivided disk which is suspended loosely, so as to have vertical plays on a screw or headed pin of the piston,

substantially as hereinafter described. It i' is by this arrangement that the pressure brought upon the piston can be employed as a means for causing the pistons to always pack water tight, and it will be seen that the greater the pressure, the more perfectly will the piston be caused to pack. To enable others, skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, I .will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, A, represent a series of hydraulic cylinders provided with pistons B, which carry followers C, C. These cylinders are larranged contiguously or alongside one another between the guide standards a, a, of the followers and underneath the stationary platen'D, as shown. The piston of each of these cylinders is packed with a leather ring b, which encircles a disk c, said disk being divided radially into a series of sections, as shown in Fig. 3. This disk has a conical passage d, cut vertically through it and is fitted loosely by means of said passage around a conical extension e, on the lower end of the piston, as shown, being held in place by the undivided disk or plate f, which is suspended on the screw g, so as to play up, and down freely, as shown. By having the piston thus packed when the water presses against the disk or plate f, said plate will be caused to rise and in rising will cause the sections of the disk C, to

rise on the cone extension of the piston and consequently to expand the packing ring slightly and thus produce a perfectly water tight joint between the cylinder and the piston.

D, is the small water reservoir provided with a suitable force pump or pumps E, E, as shown. This reservoir is preferably placed midway between the series of presses.

F, is the hydraulic main pipe communicating with the reservoir as shown and extending in opposite directions from the point of communication with the reservoir to the first and last presses of the series.

Gr, G, are branches leading at right angles from the hydraulic main to the several presses. These branches communicate with the hydraulic cylinders and main and have each a stop cock H, whereby said communication may be shut off. It will be observed that the branch pipes supply the water at a point below the bottom of the pistons. It will also be seen that if all the stop cocks except the first one of the series are turned so as to close up the communication of the cylinders with the reservoir, and the pump or pumps worked the water will only be introduced through the branch pipe which has its cock open and consequently the full pressure of the water will be applied to the piston of'the first of the series of presses, and the follower will be raised with great force against the article being pressed and by closing the cock of this press while the water is under pressure the pressure will be retained. It will also be evident that by opening and closing the cocks of the other presses of the series successively at the periods just described the same results will be obtained. After all the series have been supplied with water and in an active condition or under pressure they may be left standing until the article being operated upon between the followers C, C, and platen D, has become set when by opening the cocks the water will run back into the reservoir ready for another operation.

My invention can readily be introduced into the frames of useless old screw presses which tobacco manufacturers have on hand and do not like to throw away, by simply removing the screw, nut and follower and thus a very great saving will be effected, as Well as a very effective arrangement for pressing produced.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The arrangement of the water reservoir, D, force pump on pumps E, main supply pipe F, branches G, G, stop cocks H and a series of hydraulic presses A, B, C, for united operation, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. Arranging a leather packing-ring on a disk which is divided radially into a series of parts and fitted loosely on a conical eX- tension of the piston and held in contact with said extension by means of an undivided disk which is suspended loosely so as to have vertical play, on a screw or headed pin of the piston, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

M. H. CLARK. Witnesses:

WM. RIAN, JNO. A. KIRBY. 

